Beaufort County Greenprint Plan and 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Beaufort County, South Carolina

Integrating cultural landscapes, climate resiliency, and growth management in the low country

The impacts of sea level rise and population growth threaten Beaufort County, South Carolina’s cultural landscapes, ecosystems, historically black communities, and agricultural landscapes. To combat these issues, Design Workshop collaborated with the county and communities to create the 2020 Beaufort County Greenprint Plan and the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Working during the height of Covid-19 the team was still able to achieve statistically relevant community engagement using innovative storytelling techniques. Compiling this with research on water quality, habitat and cultural landscape protection, the team understood a clear picture of the community’s conservation priorities and the different tools—land acquisition, conservation easements, conservation development incentives, development restrictions—most appropriate to achieve their goals. These results guided the development of the Greenprint Plan and Comprehensive Plan, which work together to create a model that integrates climate change with future growth modeling and conservation strategies, and approaches for placemaking, affordable housing, development, trails and walkability.

Services Provided: Comprehensive Planning, Open Space Planning, Land Use Planning, Resiliency Planning

Client

Beaufort County